Tire back



i Oct. 14, F. 1.-. sARsI- NT ETAL R-'2`2928 A TIRE RACK A Original Filed June 8. 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l uw. mi uw; @i E Oct. 14, 1947.

VF. L.` SARGENT ET AL TIRE RACK 2 sheets-sheet Original Filed June 8. 1945 Reissued Oct. 14, 1947 TIRE RACK Frederick L. Sargent, Burlingame, and William J. Grader, Mountain View, Calif.

Original No. 2,404,534, dated July 23, 1946, Serial No. 598,248, June 8, 1945. Application for reissue April 11, 1947, Serial No. 740,756

(Cl. B24- 29) 7 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in a tire rack for motor vehicles and more particularly to that type of rack for holding ponderous tires used upon heavy trucks and trailers, wherein a stirrup pivotally suspended to a low level to facilitate loading or unloading of a bulky tire, operates in conjunction with releasable means for holding said rack in vertical or loading position and also with means for swinging and locking said rack and tire to a higher elevation without lifting the entire weight of said tire.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tire rack.

Another object is to provide a new and improved rack of the character set forth having a greatly simplified construction for swinging a ponderous tire from a low t a higher elevation and locking the same in such elevation.

A further object is to provide a new and improved tire rack of the type described arranged to facilitate loading and unloading of cumbersome and ponderous commercial truck and trailer tires within the low and comparatively restricted and inaccessible area beneath a truck or trailer body and ybetween the chassis and extensive overhang of the body usually found in vehicles of the heavy commercial type.

We accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present application, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a broken elevation of a portion of one side of a truck or trailer body, with the device shown 1n loading position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1, with the tire securing nuts removed;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of Fig. 2;

Fig, 4 is an elevation similar to Fig. 1 but showing the rack and tire swung and secured in carrying position; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one form of latch or bolt which may be used for locking the rack in receded position.

Referring to the drawings:

The numeral I is used to designate in general a portion of a heavy commercial truck or trailer body supported upon the usual beam or channel forming a part of the chassis 2.

From the chassis 2 is pivotally suspended a stirrup 3 having a U-shaped lower end 4 flared at its edges as at 6 to facilitate rolling a ponderous tire 35 onto said stirrup 3. The stirrup 3 is also provided with a pivotally mounted transverse bar 1 having tapered and threaded lugs thereon for 2 engaging the usual bolt-holes 9 within a tire mounting II.

A lateral apertured hasp I2 is mounted upon the rear of the stirrup 3 and is arranged to be automatically engaged and held Iby a spring bolt or latch I4 when the stirrup 3 is swung upwardly on its pivot to a horizontal or storing position, as fully disclosed in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The latch I4 is preferably mounted upon a lateral shelf I6 on the chassis 2 and further supported by Ibrackets Il having longitudinally disposed slots I8 therein with offset portions I9 in the lower ends thereof, said slots being slidably engaged by the lateral or inwardly turned ends 26 oi" a preferably U-shaped brace 2l pivotally mounted upon the stirrup 3 and having an eX- tension 22 'by means of which said brace 2l may be released from the offset portions I9 of the slots I8, in a manner and for a purpose hereinafter more fully set forth.

An arm 26 is pivotally suspended from the body I and directly above the latch ill and is provided on the lower end thereof with a slotted and bifurcated end to straddle the latch I4 and engage a releasing pin 2l extending through said bolt or latch I4. Also, a releasing rod 29 is slidably mounted upon the lower or under side of the body I and has its inner end pivotally connected to the arm 26, and its outer end terminating in a lateral extension or handle 3l immediately adjacent the side of the body I, as disclosed in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

In operation; with the stirrup 3 vertically susspended as in Fig. 1 of the drawings, one edge of a ponderous tire 35 is raised and laid upon or rolled into the U-shaped end 4 of the stirrup 3, so that an operator, within the comparatively restricted area under a body I and between the chassis or frame 2 and outer side or edge of the body I, will not be compelled to lift the entire weight of said tire. Having rested one edge oi the tire 35 upon the U-shaped portion 4 of the stirrup 3, the tire 35 is then raised vertically and .the bolts 8 are inserted into the nearest holes 9 of a tire mounting II, the bar l mounting said bolts 8 being pivotal so that the bolts easily may be adjusted to the holes rather than the more laborious method of turning the heavy tire to bring the holes 9 into matching relation with said bolts 8, as shown schematically in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

After the nuts 30 are screwed upon their respective bolts 8 the tire 35 and stirrup 3 are pulled forwardly until the ends 20 of the brace 2| are out of the oiset portions I9 of the slots .frame member 2.

I8 of the braces I `I, which brace 2| has been holding the stirrup 3 against backward movement While being loaded. The extension 22 of said brace 2|, which normally extends through the central or axle opening of the tire mounting II, is now pressed by the foot of an operator or otherwise to move the ends 2!) of the brace ZI upwardly into the slots IB and beyond the offset portions I9 thereof, so that the stirrup 3 and tire 35 thereon may now be swung upwardly to a horizontal position and until the latch or bolt I4 engages and holds the hasp I2, as fully disclosed in Fig. 4 of the drawings. ing position, the tire is held beneath the'truck body I out of danger from collisions and sufflciently clear of `the roadway below.

When it is desired to unload a spare tire 35 from the rack, by pulling the handle 3l of the rod 29 outwardly, the latch or bolt I4 is receded or withdrawn from the apertured hasp I2 and the stirrup 3 and tire 35 will be moved automatically by the attraction of gravity to a substantially vertical or unloading position, as clearly disclosed in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. In these figures it will be observed that the ponderous tire 35 has been lowered closely to the ground, as represented by the line G, so that with little effort the said tire may be removed and rolled oir the side of the U-shaped portion 4 of the stirrup 3 and onto the ground G.

Several further observations may be made on the structure and functions of the devices illustrated in the drawing and described in the foregoing. Pivot I0, from which stirrup 3 (the tire supporting element) is suspended, is shown as located near the outer lower edge of the chassis frame member 2. It may be conveniently carried by the shelf I6 which is secured under Pivot III is located substantially in the plane of the vertical depending portion 3 of the stirrup. The tire orwheel securing means (bar `1 with its studs 8) secures the wheel substantially against stirrup portion 3 so that the plane of the inner face of the tire' is close to the pivot I0. That relative arrangement results in the tire lying closely under the chassis frame 2 when the parts are swung to the position of Fig. 4.

The central pivot Ia of the wheel securing bar 1 is located on the outer face of stirrup 3 in a position below stirrup pivot IU. The axis of that pivot coincides with the axis of thesecured wheel. (The wheel is supported by stirrup part 4 with the wheel axis insubstantially that same position, for convenience 'in securing the wheel.) The physical center and the ysubstantially coincident center of gravity of the secured tire and tire mounting consequently lie below the suspension pivot III, and also (in Fig. 2) outwardly displaced from the suspension pivot by approximately the half thickness of the tire.

In Fig. 2 the approximate position of the center of gravity is indicated by the cross mark designated C. G. and a line joining pivot I and C. G. is designated V.

Brace 2I in the position of Fig. 2 holds the stirrup and tire in the Vertical position, preventing them from swinging back toward `a position where line V would be vertical. -On `release of the holding brace, the stirrup and tire will swing under gravity to the position where Aline Vf is vertical and von through that position toward a position 'where that line is in position Vi-arrd where C. G. is in -position'ia -G.1.

In this carryl A1 relatively slight assisting manual effort :applied vlower than C. G.z.

to the tire swings the stirrup and tire from the last mentioned position to the rial stowed position of Fig. 4, the weight of the stirrup and tire only having to be lifted manually from the lever of C. G.1 to that of C. G z. Upon reaching the stowed position of Fig. 4, latch I4 automatically catches in hasp I4 to hold the stirrup and tire until the latch is released.

When the tire is wanted and the latch is released, the stirrup and tire will swing under gravity from the position of Fig. 4 fully to the position of Fig. 2 because the position designated C. G. is On reaching the position of Fig. 2, brace 2I dropping down slot I8 catches in the lower end of the slot to hold the stirrup and tire in that position.

We claim:

1. A tire rack comprising the combination with a vehicle body of a stirrup pivotally suspended from the chassis of said body; tapered and threaded lugs adjustably mounted upon said stirrup and arranged to engage apertures within a tire mounting mounted upon said stirrup; a hasp mounted upon the back of said stirrup; a latch arranged to engage said hasp and retain the same to hold said stirrup in a horizontal position from its pivot when said stirrup is swung to such position; means extending from said latch to the side of said vehicle body for releasing said latch; and releasable means for holding said stirrup in sus,- pended vertical position.

2. A tire rack of the type adapted to carry a tire in a position beneath a Vehicle frame, said rack comprising a tire supporting element, means for pivotally suspending the supporting element from a pivotal point adjacent the lower outer edge of the vehicle frame so that the supporting element may be swung between a position of substantially vertical suspension below the pivot point and a position in which it extends from the pivot inwardly and substantially horizontally under the vehicle frame, means for securing a tire to that side of the supporting element which is outward when the element is in its suspended position, the securing means being so positionally related to the suspension pivot that the plane of the inner face of the secured tire is adjacent the pivot point and the center of mass of the tire lies below and spaced outward from the pivot point, releasable means for holding the supporting element against inward Swinging movement from its said position of substantially vertical suspension, and releasable means for holding the supporting element against downward and outward swinging movement from its said substantially horizontal position.

3. A tire rack as defined in claim 2 and in which the tire supporting element comprises at least in part a member in the form of a flat bar attached at one end to the pivot and lying substantially in a plane in which the pivot axis lies, and in which the t'ire securing means is vlocated on the supportingr relement at va level below the pivot when the supporting element is in its suspended position.

4. tire rack as defined in claim 3 and in which the two releasable Aholding means embody automatic la'tohin-g devices which are operable by virtue of the supporting lelement reaching either of its two specified positions.

'5. A-tire'rack as deiined in claim 2 and in which the -tvvo releasable holding means embody automat-ic Ilatching devices which are operable jby virtue of the Vsupporting element reaching either of its two Ispecified positions.

6. A tire rack as dened in claim 2 and in which the tire supporting element comprises a member in the form of a at bar attached at one end to the pivot and lying for a portion of its length substantially in a plane in which the pivot axis lies, the opposite end portion of the member being bent in the form of a tire 'supporting portion which extends `outwardly from the lower end of the rst mentioned portion when the supporting element is in its suspended position.

7. A tire rack as dened in claim 2 and in Which the tire supporting element comprises a. member in the form of a flat bar attached at one end to the pivot and lying for a portion of its length sub- FREDERICK I.. SARGENT. WILLIAM J. CRADER. 

